Friday, July 1, 2011 Las Cruces Bulletin Homes & Southwest Living | E11

“On this day in 1776, the Continental Congress, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation, approved the Declaration of Independence.”

What’s red, white and blue everywhere? Fourth of July celebrations of course! To com-memorate the occasion, food fireworks are on the agenda – fare that sparks with peppery goodness.

Hit the park or patio armed with a parade of dips, chips, hot dogs, steaks and tater salad, each exploding with sass and flavor. When the sky darkens and the fireworks commence, ignite taste buds with star spangled fiery fudge pops. “Feliz día de la independencia!”

Blazing Crab Dip 1 pound imitation crabmeat, flaked1 teaspoon garlic, minced1/2 cup jalapeño peppers, chopped1/4 cup shredded pepper Jack

or habanero cheese1/2 cup mayonnaise1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon hot sauce1 pinch salt1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, mix the imitation crab-meat, garlic, jalapeño peppers, pepper jack cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and salt.

Transfer crabmeat mixture to the baking dish. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Black Bean Blast! 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice1 tablespoon white wine vinegar1 tablespoon honey1/2 small jalapeño, seeded,

deveined and chopped1/2 teaspoon salt, preferably sea salt1 small garlic clove1/2 teaspoon mustard1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 large handfuls baby arugula (or spring greens), well washed and dried

3 cups cooked black beans1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For the dressing, in a blender or food processor purée lime juice, vinegar, honey, ja-lapeño, salt, garlic and mustard. Add the olive oil and purée until everything comes together. Taste and adjust with more salt, honey or lime juice, if needed. Set aside until you are ready to serve the salad.

Just before serving, gently toss the arugula in a large bowl with a small amount of dress-ing. Arrange on a platter. In another bowl, toss the beans and most of the almonds with a gen-erous splash of the dressing. Arrange the beans on top of the arugula and finish by sprinkling with the remaining almonds and the crumbled feta cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

The United States of America Green Chile Tater Salad2 1/2 pounds new potatoes,

washed and halved3 tablespoons corn oilSalt and pepper3 tablespoons white wine vinegar1/3 cup red onion, finely dice4 long green chiles, roasted, stemmed,

seeded and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup olive oilToss potatoes with salt, pepper and corn

oil and roast in oven at 400 degrees or on the grill until done. Cut potatoes in half and toss with olive oil, vinegar, red onion and chiles. Chill at least 30 minutes and serve. Can also be served warm. Makes 8 servings. (Recipe adapted from the “Texas Border Cookbook.”)

Yankee Doodle Sweet Heat Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs8 hot dog franks 8 slices thick-cut bacon 1/4 cup well-drained, crushed pineapple 1 ounce unsweetened pineapple juice 1/8 cup packed dark brown sugar 4 teaspoons honey1 /2 teaspoon habanero powder 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper 6 (10-inch) bamboo or wooden skewers,

cut into thirds, soaked in water Barbecue sauce 8 hot dog buns (optional)

Cook the bacon over low temperature, pressing down on it with a bacon press or spatula to keep slices flat. Remove from heat when the bacon begins to shrink. Drain on paper towels.

Preheat grill to medium. In a saucepan, combine the unsweetened

pineapple juice, brown sugar and lemon pepper.

Heat to boiling, stirring until the brown sugar dissolves. Add honey and habanero powder. Stir. Remove from heat. Let cool.

Cut a slit lengthwise in each hot dog, be-ginning about a quarter-inch from each end. (Don’t cut through the bottom.)

After the syrup has cooled slightly and thickened, add the crushed pineapple. Then spoon the pineapple-syrup mixture into the hot dog slits.

Wrap each hot dog with a slice of bacon and secure at each end with one-third of a skewer.

Grill hot dogs to desired doneness, about 10 minutes. Near the end of grilling, brush with a little barbecue sauce. Serve on buns. (Recipe adapted from http://simplyrecipes.com and http://tasteofhome.com.)

Sassy Sousa Steaks 2/3 cup virgin olive oil or vegetable oil1/8 cup lemon juice1/4 cup lime juice1/4 cup hot green chile, roasted,

stemmed and chopped1 clove garlic, minced2 pounds sirloin steak

Mix together the oil, lemon and lime juices, chile and garlic in a roasting pan. Add steaks and marinate for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator. When grill is hot, add steaks and grill for 5 minutes on each side for medium, or longer for well-done steaks. Top with a slab of chile, if desired. Serve with a fruit salsa. Makes 4 servings.

Fudgy Star Spangled Pops 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) heavy cream8 ounces (1 cup) whole milk2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepperSugar (optional)

Chop chocolate and place in a bowl. Com-bine heavy cream, milk and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until cocoa is dissolved and mixture comes to a simmer.

Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes and then whisk gently until all chocolate is melted. Mix in vanilla and cinnamon. Slowly add the cayenne to taste. Fill Popsicle molds and freeze for at least two hours. If the frozen Popsicle is too spicy, coat one side in sugar. Makes 16 servings. (Recipe adapted from Alton Brown, “Good Eats 2: The Middle Years.”)

Sunny Conley, a former Las Crucen, is an award-winning cookbook author and food columnist. If you have a chile recipe or idea to share, contact Conley at sunny.conley@gmail.com.

Celebrating Fourth of JulyFiery feast in honor of Independence Day

ChileKnights

Sunny ConleyChile Knights

Celebrate the Fourth of July with a juicy grilled steak, served topped with a slab of roasted green chile.

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